Eric Kozowski is running against sitting Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson.
Courtesy of Eric Kozowski
A Deschutes County sheriff's deputy claims he's been harassed and retaliated against at work ever since he announced he'd be running against his boss in the November election.
Candidate Eric Kozowski said he became the subject of three internal investigations after he announced his candidacy against sitting Sheriff Shane Nelson.
The investigations involve incidents that stem as far back as 2010. According to Kozowski's attorney, the county is examining one incident where he allegedly didn't log a record, another incident involving failure to arrest a wanted suspect and a third over comments made to the media.
Kozowski's attorney said these new investigations are part of a pattern to retaliate against his client because of the election.
Kozowski also claims his supervisor has curtailed his job functions and eliminated some of his responsibilities since he announced his run for office.
The sheriff's deputy filed an official complaint regarding the alleged retaliation, which was forwarded to the state Department of Justice.
The DOJ confirmed Wednesday there is a current investigation involving the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and potential election law violations but could not provide further detail about that investigation or who within the agency it involves.
Sheriff Nelson did not return OPB's calls or respond to questions about Kozowski's allegations, but in an email he said the investigations were triggered by recent complaints.